Charity becomes a lifeline even for Americans with health insurance as deductibles soar

ROELAND PARK, Kan. - "I'm scared, mommy," Bo Macan protested.

Bo, who is 9, was trying to be brave as a nurse probed his bare chest with a needle, seeking a surgically implanted port below his skin where she could attach an IV line for his weekly antibiotic.

"It hurts. It hurts! Please make it stop," Bo pleaded, clutching his mother's hand more frantically with each push from the needle.

Taking care of Bo - who was born with a unique combination of complex illnesses that have required 53 surgeries and more than 800 days in the hospital - is a full-time job for Carolyn Macan.

Macan also spends a lot of time looking for money.

"It just breaks you down," she said.

Medical charities and crowdfunding have long helped fill the gaps for Americans who lack health coverage.

Now, Americans who have insurance are increasingly turning to charity as a lifeline, as a revolution in health insurance has driven up deductibles more than threefold over the last decade, forcing tens of millions of Americans